Naruto: Rise of the Kyuubi no Yoko
by TheConsumingDarkness
Summary: AU SlightXover All my life I've fought and bled to protect my home from it's enemies. I was raised to be it's weapon and like my parents before me I will die to protect my home. But not even I could have expected these turn of events too unfold, and to think it all started when this beautiful redhead dropped into my life and changed me for the better. Naruto x Rias
1. The Beginning

**This is an idea spawned from an inspiration of Dracula Untold's concept and of the Shinobi Way in Naruto. Changes have been made from canon to fit the criteria for what I'm going for. For example: **_The history of the entire Rikudo Sennin and the Juubi has been overhauled, but that's all I will say._** Also the beginning of this story is going to be confusing to you all, but it will be explained in the next chapter.**

**There will be a crossover into this story, namely Highschool DxD, but that verse will be set in Naruto's time and...uh I'll need time to build that up.**

**With that said, enjoy.**

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><p>"<em>A Shinobi must never show weakness nor emotion. A Shinobi must kill their heart and their emotions so they can do what must be done to protect their home, they must do whatever is necessary to protect their village and it's citizens...no matter the cost." <strong>~Shimura Danzo<strong>_

**Naruto: The Rise of the Kyuubi no Yoko**

Prologue: The Beginning

Blood...

That was all he could see through his visage. It ran down his body in such a way it would surely stain his entire being and drench his blackened soul more than it already was. Every breath he took caused his lungs to constrict and every movement he made felt as if he were being stabbed by a countless number of needles. His spine tingled with every stumble he made, and every breeze that hit his body felt like he was being struck by lightning.

_'You cannot feel pain, pain is a limitation, a chain to keep you grounded. Those that succumb to pain are for only the weak, but if you can ignore it, block it out from your mind, than nothing shall stop you.'_

But he didn't scream, he didn't cry out, he didn't so much as let out a whimper. He simply wouldn't allow himself that luxury. To shown a sign of weakness to the enemy, of any sort, was akin to failing as a shinobi, and that was unforgivable to him. There was no room for the weak in this world, only the strong could survive this world.

He moved through the darkness around him, kunai clashing with one another. Bright flashes of steel meeting steel appeared amongst his clashes with the enemy. Multiple enemies surrounded him on all sides yet he showed no sense of fear for his life. The mission took priority over all else and nothing would impede his path to completing it.

_'To a Shinobi, the mission comes before all else, even before your own life. You are to be expected to fight, tooth and nail to complete it. And if that means certain death, than you will die knowing you fought, bled and died for your village, like a true loyal shinobi.'_

Ducking from an overhead strike, he tossed his kunai upwards, than used his free hand grab one of his assailants by their face before crushing their skull into the ground. Following that, he used the momentum to flip and spin kick two more aside before hurling a kunai toward both of them which nailed them before the eyes. As they dropped before jumped aside, in time too as the ground where he once stood exploded in smoke and debris from a Doton jutsu.

Spinning around he tilted his head dodging a hail of shuriken while only a few seemed to only scratch his mask, and catching the kunai from before. He leaned forward vanished in a blur, dashing to his opponent he only reappeared before his enemies eyes far too late before cold steel cut through flesh and the man's jugular. Than kicking him aside to bleed and drown in his blood, he turned only to see a giant wave of earth coming down on him.

_'Do not hesitate and do not falter, **endure** whatever is thrown at you and keep moving, that is the way of the Shinobi. Too endure throughout all hardship, throughout all pain, even when you are the edge of no return, you must endure it and stare into the face of death without hesitation, this is primarily important for all shinobi, but more so for you too remember my student.'_

Smoke and debris exploded as the earth slammed onto him, the earth rocked and the forest trembled. Tree's were leveled and the landscape shook. And following the crash multiple shinobi jumped down at the location of where the jutsu hit to survey the results.

''Did we get him?'' spoke one Iwa shinobi.

''We had to, that was a collaboration jutsu of all us, nothing short of a platoon of shinobi coul-'' another Iwa shinobi was cut off as the ground beneath started to shake before the the area where their target was presumably crushed started too tremble. Before too long streams of dark blue and crimson chakra started seep out of the cracks of the earth.

''W-wait he's still alive, scatter!''

It was too late...

The very earth exploded and the landscape shifted, chakra as red as blood and of the vilest degree erupted like a volcano. All the shinobi caught in the explosion were thrown back by the shockwave and a few unlucky ones were crushed by the erupting earth. Dazed and bewildered those still conscious could only look too see coming out of smoke was the very shinobi they tried so desperately too kill.

And the last thing they saw was part of it's ANBU mask cracked off revealing a singular glowing red eye with a feline slit.

And then their attacker just _moved_.

Then blood and death followed...

_'And finally, remember this. You are a weapon, more than a shinobi and greater than any tool. You are a **weapon** to be used by the village, too ensure it's safety and well being. You will kill without conscious, you will murder without a shred of mercy. It is simply our way, but more than that, it is too be expected from you the most...'_

Forgoing kunai and ninja tools the man used his hands and the area around him to his advantage. As his body literally glowed with his vile sinister chakra, his punches kicks tore through his enemies bodies like wet paper. When they tried to fight back, kunai and shuriken bounced off his body as if he were made of pure steel and even jutsu's didn't seem to effect him any more. He ripped the ground asunder and crushed his foes beneath the earth, pulverized them with the very tree's that surrounded them. The elements beckoned at his call and manipulated at his very will, and his will was too crush all opposition that threatened his home without mercy.

To the Iwa shinobi, there was simply no way for them to even hope to pull out a victory, they already learned quite well that they were facing something beyond anything they've ever fought before. This man_-no this monster-_was insurmountable, a juggernaut of the greatest degree. He would simply not die, nothing was effecting him. A stalwart defender of it's village and a violent oppressor upon it's village's enemies.

The last fleeting thoughts of those Iwa shinobi was simply...

"_M-monster...demon...**Devil**''_

Soon enough the forest went quiet before the masked man made way to his destination and upon reaching a hilltop his lone visible eye stared down at a completely oblivious village on the border of Iwa and Kumo. Unaware of what had transpired in their forests.

And ignorant of the fate that awaited them all as the shinobi vanished into the darkness.

"_Remember these teachings well, for they will carry you on in life as the weapon Konoha will need too survive. The life of the village and it's people rest on your shoulders. You are the perfect weapon, the shield to defend against out foes and it's sword to cut down our enemies, you are hereby forever known in the shadow of the tree that is Konoha..."_

Stepping forth, his black boots sunk into the soil and he cast his gaze down to see the soil was drenched in the blood of his victims. The crimson liquid of life bubbled up around his boots each time he took a step. He moved through the battlefield, until he came upon an open field where he look upwards, his Kitsune masked visage looked upwards into the midnight sky. His eyes peered at the full moon that seem to bask him in it's radiance.

But as he did, the light of moon was cast all over the battlefield and with it stood not only the smoky burning ruins of a small village, but _hundreds_ of logs stabbed into the ground with the corpses of said villagers impaled on those very logs. Men, women and children were all impaled on these logs, and it didn't bother him. This was his mission and he would not fail.

''I am._...Kyuubi.''_ his lone crimson slit eye seemed to glow an even darker shade of crimson which seemed to reflect itself upon the full white moon itself. Casting a veil of crimson all across the sky, bathing the whole world in it's crimson light.

And in a shift of the wind, the masked man was gone in a swirl of leaf's, leaving only his impaled victims and a ransacked village in it's wake. However flying away from the area and in the wake of the slaughter was a small raven which had tied around it's talon was a small rolled up parchment.

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><p>Konohagakure no Sato<p>

The major shinobi village within Hi no Kuni was not like any other village. It was akin to it's namesake for it was a village hidden amongst a vast expanse of green forestry. The green leaf's shrouded it from the naked eye. The village itself was massive though, from a bird's point of view it was more of a giant bustling city than a village. Though it was a shinobi village, it was also a center point for trade and commerce between the other nations and the Hi no Kuni palace.

Underneath the bright rays of the sun, one could see the street's of Konoha was bustling and filled with many of the locals and travelers alike. Some were from all across the nations and others were natives too Hi no Kuni coming. Some came to see the sights, others came to stock up on Konoha's vast assortment of resources, trinkets and other such objects gained from their many merchants that came in and out of Konoha from their travels. And more reserved people came seeking to ask for assistance with a matter that required the aid of Konoha's shinobi.

Speaking of it's shinobi, you could clearly see coming in out of the gates were a good number of it's shinobi from different ranks such as Jonin, groups of Chunin led by a Jonin leader and a squad of Genin led by their Jonin sensei. Others were already hopping over the rooftops toward the Hokage Tower to give a debriefing of their latest mission and others were leaving for their own missions in turn.

It was a well organized system in Konoha, for both it's civilian and shinobi sides of the village, while it was all run under the incredible leadership of it's current Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Shinobi no Kami.

In said man office, you could find the legendary Fire Shadow sitting at his desk while buried beneath piles of documents and papers waiting to be signed. It was so much it actually made his oak desk creak and groan underneath the stacks of papers in protest. The Hokage sighed as he eyed the cause of his distress and hoped for something too happen so he would have a valid excuse to forgo his paperwork onto his secretary.

The Hokage in question beyond all his paperwork had the appearance of an old man dressed in a assortment of white and red robes, the Hokage robes to be exact. He had brown eyes which only narrowed in his annoyance at his current situation of work which caused the wrinkles around his eyes to increase in depth. And to complete the image of the old kage was a simple smoke pipe hanging lazily from the right corner of his mouth.

Giving a grunt the old man went over one paper with incredible speed, gave it his approval and stacked it and grabbed another, it was like he was on autopilot with only the occasional grunt in sequence. At intervals a annoyed tick would pulse from his right brow and his left would twitch in irritation from the seemingly endless amount of paperwork laid out on his desk. Sometimes he cursed his late successor, the Yondaime Hokage, for dying early in his reign leaving him to pick up the reigns again and along with it the infernal paperwork that haunted him every waking moment of his long life.

By Yomi he _hated_ paperwork...

_'If I could have any sort of interference from this infernal torment I'd see it as a blessing from the Gods.' _the old yet experienced kage thought.

And his prayers seemed to be answered.

_Tack! Tack!_

Suddenly his ears perked up from a sound coming from the window behind him, and looking over his shoulder he saw it to be a jet black raven, but when he saw it's dull red eyes his own brown orbs narrowed dangerously before quickly standing up. Forsaking his paperwork, he walked toward the window and creaked it open and let the crow latch onto his forearm. The talons didn't pierce into his due to the armor he wore underneath, a precaution he felt was always needed which has saved his life more times than he could count.

''Well, has he finished his mission then, little one?'' he questioned the raven which only stared him at blankly before titling its head to the side. Smiling, the old man noticed the parchment tied around the raven's talon. Brown eyes seemed to glow in familiarity and a bit solemness when he noticed the distinct chakra signature from the parchment. Exhaling a bit, he untied the parchment from the raven before taking another slip of paper and tying it to the raven's talon.

''Thank you, now go back to your master, little one.'' he said and the raven blinked before he turned around and flew off from the Hokage's office. Leaving the old man and the parchment of paper in hand. Watching the raven fly off, Hiruzen puffed his pipe a few times and turned to read the contents of the parchment. Unfolding it, he saw the contents were, as protocol required from his operatives, coded so he raised his index finger before channeling his chakra through it causing the tip of glow a fiery blue.

Giving the letter a single tap, the coded letter glowed before the codes rearranged and become letters that spelled out the message sent to him. And as he read it's content he felt himself become older with each word he read before he finally let out a solemn sigh. It was a quiet one, but it was no less filled with an emotion of intense regret.

"_The mission has been completed, per instructions Hokage-sama. Iwa will no longer trouble you or Daimyo-sama, for the foreseeable future. Call upon me when you need me again, Hokage-sama."_

''Perfection as always, neh? You never cease too amaze me, but then again...'' he trailed on, his old eyes skimming over too look over Konoha, his village, his home that he swore to protect at any cost. The very village he was born and raised in, a village he swore to safeguard at any cost, no matter how steep those costs would be.

_'That's too be expected from you, isn't? You are my greatest sin and yet Konoha's greatest weapon.'_ he thought to himself before he ignited the letter in hand with a little bit of Katon chakra. And throwing out the window he watched it burn into nothingness, and contents of the mission along with it. Seeing the ashes scatter to the winds, the Hokage turned to look at the recent team assignment folders on his desk and he sighed.

''Now onto more delicate matters.'' he sighed, knowing what was too come would be the cause of his migraine to come.

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><p><em>Tack! Tack!<em>

Hearing the sound of something tapping the window of his bedroom, a figure cloaked in shadow meditating on how bed released himself from his position. Letting his feet touch the cold wood flooring of his room, he let the light of sun peak through the cracks of his humble abode as he went toward his window. And there standing on the outside of the window sill was a jet black raven.

But what caught the figures attention was the rolled up piece of parchment around it's talon.

Silently, he opened his window and let the raven fly onto his forearm, without so much as a word he untied the parchment from the raven's talon.

''Thanks for bringing this to me little guy, here's a little something for your trouble.'' the figure spoke before fishing out a dried up piece of rat meat before tossing it to the raven which caught gleefully and began o devour the contents of his little snack.

The figure than began to Unfurl the parchment, but noticing the decrypted message from the Hokage and he decoded it with his chakra, same as the Hokage had done. And in a poof of smoke, out popped from the parchment was a medium-sized message scroll. Taking hold of it in one hand, he ignited the parchment in a blaze of orange and red flames, in the very same manner as the Hokage and let the ashes blow away outside his window.

Then he continued onto the scroll and unrolling it, he began to read it's contents and for a moment, the figure let out a sigh, as if he was exhausted, but his hand seemingly went to his face and running it down he could only speak to himself in a air of what seemed to be annoyance.

''And now it's come to this hasn't it, Hokage-sama?'' he said to only himself as the message from his leader reflected well on his mind. It was a message that made him shiver in both anticipation and anxiety, two emotions he knew quite well could never have been stripped from him.

_You have new orders, your efforts in oppressing Iwa have held incredible results from our scouts. But I have received troubling intel that Gato, of Gato Transport, who has taken the country of Nami no Kuni under his grip has employed the service of several notable forces under his thumb. The number of mercenaries he has under his command has roughly tripled in size in the following months and are now estimated to be roughly between the numbers of 500 to 1200 all of which have been scattered across Nami no Kuni as some sort of security measure. Another bit of intel also suggests he has gained the service of a few missing-nin, some belonging to the neighboring country of Mizu no Kuni. Which, you no doubt realize is still in the midst of it's civil war._

_We strongly believe Gato means to go past his control over Nami and plans to invade smaller countries by sea, and if information on him is accurate he has the backing of the current Mizukage of Kirigakure as well as a few minor Daimyo's._

_There has also been recent movement from Kumo, they have bee bolstering their forces inside their village and tightening security along their borders. We also have mission reports of small incursions from Kumo's BOLT divisions invading small countries that encircle our borders. We believe they are trying to expand their borders closer to ours, but they've yet to do anything to warrant the extreme of warfare. But you and I both know they are up to something, what that is thought I cannot say._

_And as for Suna, our spies have been closed off for some time now due to the village being in total lock down. With the recent economical depression from their Daimyo cutting off missions and funds for the village and sending their missions to us. This makes us believe, with the fact they've issued a lock down for the village, that they are concocting something that may very well break the treaty between our two villages. Possibly out of desperation, because of the fact that a few of their spies have been found, captured and interrogated by Ibiki and Inoichi. We could only gather what we could before they died from self-induced poison capsules._

_Whatever the case may be, they are desperate and that makes this to be a very tense situation between our two villages, especially now with what's going on._

_Summing up all I've said, I must tell you, I know you've sworn yourself to secrecy since you were let loose. But I fear the times of War are returning, and with a wave of chaos the likes of this world has never seen before. I can feel it in these old brittle bones of mine, therefore I am ordering you as your Hokage._

_You have been our **shield** long enough, you've safeguarded Konoha many times untold. But now it is time we strike, talks of peace are no longer an option. You must now become the **Sword** of Konohagakure and, by the orders of your Hokage. You are to **eliminate** those that would seek to harm us._

_In this scroll holds the key your **cage,** use it well._

_And...from an elderly man to his finest pupil..._

_I...am truly sorry for making you do this..._

_Good luck to you, **Kitsune**_

Sighing, the figure shook his head. ''You always were the sentimental type, Hokage-sama. But I suppose that's what makes you so great and such a stark contrast to Danzo-sensei.'' spoke the shadowed figure before he rolled the scroll up and keeping it in hand, but looking out the window, his heterochromia eyes stared amongst the forests that surrounded his home. His eyes soon narrowed, one a cold azure, colder than the frozen tundra's and the other a fiery crimson, glaring out with an intent to cause murder and bloodshed.

And a single feline slit in his red eye seemed to smolder in such a unholy fashion that the shadows of his room seemingly quivered in _fright._

''Nevertheless, an order cannot be ignored, and if War is upon us...I will eliminate all that threaten my home...without mercy and without a second thought.'' were his last words in the perpetual darkness of his home. And turning away from the bright rays of the sun that tried to pierce through the veil of the forest, the figure walked deeper into the darkness. With only the light of his glowing mismatched eyes that gave off where he was.

And on that day the souls of those that would dare to threaten Konohagakure tremble from an un-seeable force that sent a cold chill down their spines. It made them tense, and go awry with paranoia, not knowing, never truly realizing the danger that was coming for them and their heads.

For the greatest military power, Konohagakure no Sato, had just unleashed it's strongest weapon.

**Kitsune**...

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><p><strong>Very confusing, I know, but rest assured all will be explained next chapter, but the clues I left behind in this prologue will help you understand what I'm going for here. The history from canon is no where near the same for what I am building up in this story.<strong>

**It's a bit ambitious, I gotta say.**

**With that said, bye guys I need some rest, got some major health issues coming up, not looking so good to be honest.**


	2. Origin of the Legacy

**This is a relatively long chapter, but it explains all about Naruto's past so I hope that makes up for the confusion in the last chapter.**

**But this needs to be said now so you all understand what I'm doing here. I am doing a re-telling of the entire Naruto series from the get go with elements of Highschool DxD coming into the fray. So history about the Rikudo, the Shinju, and most especially the bijuu will be vastly different from their canon versions.**

**Also do not expect some characters to be like their canon versions.**

**Now enjoy to your hearts content, my friends!**

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><p>"<em>Humanity is a luxury we Shinobi are rarely ever able to take advantage of, for more often than not we are made to be merciless cold blooded murderers. Humanity, in the hearts of shinobi, easily breaks apart with each mission, with each innocent kill taken by their hand. But you...you never had to worry about that at all did you, Naruto-kun?'' <strong>~Sarutobi Hiruzen<strong>_

**Naruto: Rise of the Kyuubi no Yoko**

**Chapter 1: Origin of the Legacy**

It was over...

It was finally over...

The once great superpower that was Konohagakure no Sato, the greatest shinobi village amongst the 5 major shinobi villages, lay in complete ruins. Once at the pinnacle of shinobi military power and prowess, was now engulfed in fire, destruction and a choking miasma of crimson demonic energy that swept across the entire village and most of Hi no Kuni in a single night. Once the dust had settled, there was nothing, but destruction at every turn. The village was in shambles, crater's littered the surrounding area where the forests Konoha was known for and more than half the village was either burning, wiped out completely or was under broken debris from destroyed buildings.

Corpses of Konoha shinobi laid strewn apart what seemed like a battlefield that stretch from one point of the forest until it stretch past the destroyed front gates of Konoha and the center of the village. Whatever had happened, had apparently reached into the very center of the village, leaving nothing but a trail of death and havoc in it's fiery path. Shinobi and civilians alike that were caught in this path were dead; from being vaporized to nothing but particles, reduced to ash by the fires that still raged well on through the night, crushed under uprooted tree's and destroyed buildings or were slowly dying by the deadly miasma left behind in the wake of this catastrophe.

At one point there had been a mighty force of Konoha shinobi built up and ready to face the threat that had come to attack their home. But no matter what they had in quantity of numbers nothing could have matched the qualified strength of the foe they faced on this night. Even with their prestigious and now late Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato at the lead of the battle.

It was chaos all around, pure unfiltered chaos. It was as if Makai was unleashed upon the greatest military achievement humanity had to offer and in over a single night wiped it completely from the map. To remind them, no matter how strong they were, there was always something far stronger and far more terrifying.

But in truth what Konoha faced on this night was _far _worse than all of Makai coming down upon them. What they faced on this night was beyond any comprehensible thought of what any mortal could begin to understand. For they had been attacked, by only a single entity, a creature spoken of only in mythological lore. By an entity that stood on equal footing to that the of Shinto Gods themselves.

They had been attacked by none other than the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the Lord of the Kitsune's itself. Legend spoke of the creature, depicting it as a source of being a walking calamity. The sheer sight of it would only bring untold amounts of misery at the apex of a civilizations greatest time and achievement. When it appears, it is a sign that the end of a era is coming. It was said, that for it appear meant to be the greatest of ill-omens, it was a deity in nearly every sense of the word that brought balance to the realms of Heaven, Earth and Makai. To keep the balance aligned was said to be it's sole reason of existence and if any tried to disturb that balance in any sort of manner would incur it's wrath no matter what they were. Human, Demon, Angel.

Not even Gods were untouchable from punishment by the great entity known as the Kyuubi.

It's power alone was something spoken of only in legends, in myth it was said with a mere flick of a single tail from it's nine flowing tails it could crush mountains, conjure earthquakes, raise tsunami's. It was a living force of nature, it caused natural disaster's, all based off the folklore itself.

But on this night, with the first sighting of the Kyuubi for the first time since Ancient times, it's power was truly downplayed in the legends for in a single night. The Kyuubi seemingly appeared from nowhere and in a single flick of it's giant tails wreaked untold chaos amongst the entire nation of Hi no Kuni. Konoha wasn't the only place damaged on this night. It may have received the brunt of it's attack, but the entire nation had been ravaged severely by it's appearance alone.

A sea of crimson fire erupted from it's maw engulfing the nation ablaze, the land of fire had truly become like it's namesake on this night. For the Kyuubi had unleashed an ocean of flames the likes of which hadn't been seen ever before. It's sheer power and raw strength knew no bounds, a swipe of it's claws cleaved entire landscapes and caused the tectonic plates to shift from it's sheer brute force. Hurricanes and tornadoes beckoned at the mere flick of it's tails, ravaging the entire land in one night, while it's sole gaze rested upon the greatest military achievement of humanities power of this era.

And like the unstoppable force of nature that it was, the Kyuubi set course and laid siege upon Konohagakure, destroying everything in it's path. Not even with the amount of forces and legendary shinobi Konoha had on the field on that day stopped the Kyuubi that night.

It was only after the Kyuubi reached the center of the village did the impossible happen however, as if some sort of divine intervention had come upon the villager's of Konoha in it's last desperate moments. In a surge of power, and with the immense sacrifice of both the now late Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato and his wife Uzumaki Kushina had the impossible been done.

They stopped the Kyuubi in it's tracks and in a flash of light the walking calamity vanished into thin air.

No one knew for certain what happened that night, only those that had survived that battle and were in the area when it happened knew what Minato and Kushina had done. It had come at a great loss that the two sacrificed their life's for Konoha, but they did so to stop the Kyuubi from destroying their home. But what they did to stop the Kyuubi was a mystery to everyone while the only thing left between the two dead couple as the dust settled.

Was the cries of a single newborn baby boy bawling his eyes out with the arms of both Minato and Kushina over his body, the first and last embrace the two newly made parents would ever share with their newborn son.

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><p>He couldn't believe it, but the facts were blaring back at him from the computer screen. His pale features seemed to have gone even more paler than before, making him resemble more a corpse than before. His yellow snake-like eyes were wide in shock, bewilderment, confusion, but overall a sense of budding euphoria at what he was reading.<p>

''This...is...is amazing, positively incredible! Such a historic union of bloodlines...I've never heard such a unified specimen until now!'' such was his glee, that the legendary Orochimaru of the Denetsu no Sannin, was practically standing on his heels. Excitement rumbled all throughout his body as his eyes went from a multitude of machines, checking, double-checking and cross-checking the results to make sure what he read was completely accurate.

And when he was sure of it, did Orochimaru step back and let out a long drawn out stuttering breath as a single bead of sweat fell from his head. The implications of what he was reading finally fell upon him and it was only then that Orochimaru turned his shocked gaze upon the sleeping babe at his side. Currently he was in the maternity ward of the Konoha Hospital that had survived the initial attack just hours prior from the Legendary Kyuubi no Kitsune itself.

He had to admit, the attack of the Kyuubi had awakened his eyes to the bigger picture, it was a humbling experience to be sure when everyone in Konoha was bested by the beast. But he noticed how low Konoha had fallen from it's once grandiose stature of power and prestige and figured in it's weakened state. He could abandon the village when it was at it's weakest and it would be days, maybe weeks before they noticed he was gone. And he figured he could take a few new test subjects with him for his experimentation's. He thought about taking Fugaku Uchiha's firstborn due to the Sharingan that would undoubtedly develop in the child's eyes. But the child was already taken in by the Uchiha and was kept well guarded by child's family and clansmen in the wake of this disaster.

_'But I believe I've found something a lot better than a Uchiha test subject, oh yes a definite subject of limitless potential this one.'_ was the thoughts of Orochimaru as he looked down into the crib of a the newborn that had been found between the bodies of both the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato and his late wife, Uzumaki Kushina.

Looking down at the child he noticed it's small fluff of spiky blonde hair and strange 6 whisker-scar like markings on the child's cheeks. And taking a moment to look at the child from the perspective of someone that knew this child's secret and heritage, this made Orochimaru smirk sinisterly in the night as he read the boy's name tag.

_'Uzumaki Naruto, eh? Interesting, you are going to be a very fascinating element in this world, Naruto-kun.'_ Orochimaru thought as he looked back at the DNA scanner at his side with the faces of both Minato and Kushina linked with two other notable figures. On the side of Minato's picture had a DNA strip linking him to a shinobi of legend. While linked to Kushina's image was the picture of yet another legendary shinobi.

_Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara..._

''Oh yes, you will be a very incredible child Naruto-kun, with the unified blood within you...and your deep dark secret that you carry. You will be a force this world has never seen before, you will be the perfect host, that I know without a doubt in my mind.'' spoken softly, Orochimaru licked his lips in excitement for what was too come. His eyes seemed to glow with an insane glint that spoke of how anticipated he was to see this boy's potential unfold.

_For the blood of the two sons had been reunited for the first time, while harbored inside this child of unification was the beast of celestial calamity._

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><p>Sarutobi Hiruzen was usually not a man that was easily angered, there was only a couple of scenarios in his life that he was pushed beyond the point of being angry. But those were few and far in-between, so much so that it was hardly remembered. There were cases when he was annoyed by some of the most mediocre of things, but most just blamed that on his old age.<p>

In his youth he was a forgiving sort, even to his enemies, but old age had changed him from the once naïve youth he once had been. Now he less forgiving to anyone that scorned his village or those he cared for, and even in his state of old age, he could instill the fear into anyone, even his fellow kages why he was dubbed the Shinobi no Kami during the Second Shinobi World War. He could instil his minor annoyance into an oppressive feeling into the air that made anyone dumb enough to push him make them want to keel over.

But angry? No one in their right mind was dumb enough to do so such a thing as to make THE Sarutobi Hiruzen angry, well those that were alive that is. Those that had done so never saw their next sunrise. But it seemed there was one that didn't seem to follow this unspoken law that concerned the old yet very wise and experienced Sandaime Hokage.

And that was his very own old student and traitor to Konohagakure, Orochimaru himself. The very same he praised to have been a genius seen only once in every generation. The very same man he had trained and helped alongside Jiraiya and Senju Tsunade during their time as Genin and even beyond. He had been Orochimaru's sensei, first and foremost, and among his failures, Orochimaru had been his greatest failure as a shinobi sensei.

And his last bond he had for Orochimaru is what led to the scene before him and it made him feel so much older than he truly was. His last bond he felt toward Orochimaru made him hesitate when he alongside a team of ANBU tracked down Orochimaru the first time after much evidence of many failed human test subjects within Konoha began popping up around the outskirts of Konoha. Every single one had been native to Konoha, some innocent villagers and even his own shinobi had been forced to undergo these tests.

This shook Hiruzen greatly, but it did not derail him from his moral code, no matter how much his blood screamed for Orochimaru to be killed for all those he had killed in his experiments. He had done everything to keep the mindset that he could maybe pull Orochimaru out of the depths of the darkness he was put in after his parents died. Jiraiya tried, Tsunade tried, and he had tried but it had all been all for naught. Orochimaru never changed and seemed after the Kyuubi attack he had become even more deranged than ever before.

It was only after this that Hiruzen continued his hunt for Orochimaru, finally tracking him down to his last seen location which was on the border of Hi no Kuni. And he, alongside a handpicked group of Anbu who he personally trusted, swept in without a hint of mercy for those that followed Orochimaru's ideal. He had hesitated once but this time he came in with the mindset of a Hokage first and foremost.

Unfortunately, once they reached the main laboratory it was pretty evident Orochimaru had fled when faced against such odds. But the amount of information he left behind spoke of how much of a haste he was in to not secure his intel before fleeing. There was so much to go on with Orochimaru's experiments here, and some past experiments as well. However they had discovered amongst the main lab, there was a hidden section that led downstairs into another chamber that seemed to hold a great amount of importance due to the amount of scrolls and books around the chamber.

But there was the eye catcher of the chamber which stood in the middle of the room. And what he saw before him had broken Hiruzen completely, tears of regret, of shame, of anger, so many myriad of emotions poured from his eyes as he took shaky hesitant steps toward the glass tube before him. His body went numb, such was the powerful backlash of the emotions that burst out from his being. The ANBU that had come with him noticed their Hokage's state but stayed on alert as Hiruzen went forward. Enma, the Monkey King summon, had felt his old friend and summoners strange behavior, but once he saw what Hiruzen did he finally understood.

''By Yomi...is that?'' Enma muttered in a short of breath as he eyed the glass tube that stood before him and Hiruzen. His eyes were wide in disbelief, and his and Hiruzen shock was understandable for before them was something that had long thought been lost to Konoha in the aftermath of the Kyuubi's fabled attack 5 year's ago.

"_It is..."_ Hiruzen said, as he stopped infront of the glass tube and reaching out his wrinkled hand ran over the smooth glass tube while his brown eyes looked up to see a sight that he never dreamed to see again. It was a 5 year old boy with long unkempt spiky hair that was as gold as the sun while marred upon his cheeks were 6 whisker-like scars.

It was _him_...he would forget such an appearance.

The son of his late successor, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina...

The Legacy of the Yondaime Hokage...

_''Uzumaki Naruto.''_ Hiruzen remembered the name, a name spoken of quite a lot when Minato and Kushina had still been alive. The redhead had been exuberant, excited about the name of her child and Minato had been grinning more than he had ever seen the man do before in his life. It was surely a day to remember when he saw how happy the two were when they finally found a name for their soon to be child.

The birth of their son was expected to be a day to remember, but it was not one of happiness and excitement for the birth of two of Konoha's greatest heroes coming into the world. But of a day of disaster, a night of anarchy the likes of which hadn't been seen since ancient times. The Heavens had forsaken humanity that day and the fury of Makai had been unleashed upon the mortal world. For the walking calamity itself had appeared and decimated Hi no Kuni and nearly obliterated Konohagakure off the face of the map that day.

So many had died on that night, so many shinobi and villagers, so many friends, family, lovers, children had been lost that night. But the memory of what was left of Konoha being saved by the combined efforts of both Minato and Kushina would forever be remembered for their heroic actions in somehow stopping the force of nature that was the Kyuubi that night. They were memorialized as the Heroes they were, along with all those that ought and died bravely that night to protect Konoha.

The only good thing that actually came out of that horrific night was that amongst the dead bodies of both Minato and Kushina, held protectively in their arms was the newborn babe that had been born on that night.

Little Naruto-kun...

But, Hiruzen knew what Minato and Kushina actually did to the Kyuubi that night, it was a dark secret that only a rare few new. The amount of people that actually knew the truth about it could be counted on Hiruzen's hand and those few he trusted beyond a shadow of a doubt. And while one of them he fought with internally about the safety of Konoha and it's protocols about it's affairs beyond its walls. He trusted that one with absolute certainty, especially since it concerned the well being of Konoha as a whole.

This was a secret that went beyond any shinobi protocol to be kept under wraps. It was far too important to be handled by just anyone.

For if that secret had been made to the public...

_Konohagakure would have torn itself apart in a blood crazed civil war..._

Nonetheless, the secret little Naruto carried with him still put him at great risk which was why Hiruzen had taken him to hospital, what was left that hadn't been destroyed by the attack. And placed him in the maternity ward and under heavy guard by the most elite of Konoha's ANBU. Which didn't seem to do much when he came to check up on the boy only to find his Anbu killed and what was worse, Naruto had been taken!

It was never solved what happened to the boy, only that he had been taken when Konoha was at it's weakest. That had been a day that broke Hiruzen. Having felt like he failed both Minato and Kushina he did everything he could, in spite of Konoha's condition to find Naruto. He poured countless resources in finding him and the one who took him. Risked war a number of times with the other nations when intruding upon their lands in his search for the young Uzumaki. He could never tell Jiraiya the truth about his godson, not until Hiruzen found him and brought him home.

For those last few years since that fateful night when the Kyuubi attacked Hi no Kuni and laid siege amongst Konohagakure. Hiruzen had been put under a great stress that tested the limits of his age old wisdom and experience. It changed him and it showed as he went as far as searching the minds of those dead Anbu that night with Inoichi and a few of his clansmen to try and piece together the last broken memory fragments that those Anbu had before they were killed. They had preserved the brains since that night, under Hiruzen's orders, just incase it needed to be done. And it did prove to be a good idea, if a bit morbid, as they were able to piece together the memories to show that it had been Orochimaru that took little Naruto.

For what reason beyond that was never known, but it was enough to go on that Orochimaru had Naruto.

And that had been the fuel that kept Hiruzen going in his search for Orochimaru. Even though Konoha was facing a crisis in it's crippled state of weakness in the eyes of the other nations and countries, he could not rest peacefully while knowing the son of his late successor and Kushina was in the hands of his now deranged former student, Orochimaru.

So it was understandable for Hiruzen to act this way. Minato and Kushina had been like his own children in a way, just like Konoha was his family. But those two had been close to him and when they died along with his wife, Biwako, that night he was left irrevocably damaged. And finding the son of Minato and Kushina still alive despite the last 5 years of being in the hands of Orochimaru, was like a blessing for him.

Maybe now he could rest more peacefully now...

_Maybe now he wouldn't be haunted every waking moment of how he failed Minato and Kushina._

_**Maybe now...now he could give the son of Minato and Kushina the life he deserved from the start.**_

But that last fleeting thought would soon be tossed aside when faced with a problem that would ultimately spell the destruction of Konoha and disrupt the balance of power of the Elemental Nations.

A problem that could be solved by his own volition, but his choices would weigh heavy on his heart. Choices that were expected from him as Hokage of Konoha. Choices that would either spell doom for Konoha due to his own selfishness in protecting one innocent boy. Or bring salvation to Konoha and all of Hi no Kuni, along with the countless life's that would be saved.

Only at the cost of Hiruzen's own moral code and one young boy's existence.

* * *

><p><em>Sarutobi Hiruzen absolutely despised being Hokage!<em>

He was far, _far_ too old for this shit anymore...

And he made that evidently clear in his current facial expression that could only be interpreted as being a mix of a scowl and a deep rooted frown. But the cold fury that was building up beneath his brown orbs could not be ignored. Such was his fury, it was barely restrained by his ungodly will to let it loose upon the immediate area. Now you may be thinking what the cause of Hiruzen's current state of emotional ferocity and it could only be explained with three words.

The Konoha Council...

Now, the Konoha Council wasn't an overly large group of important big wigs or some other nonsense. It consisted of only three people that held major political pull and influence in Konoha. These three were the Hokage's adviser's, the voices that would benefit the village over all else, the three people that aided the Hokage in any and all political, military and economical matters that concerned Konohagakure in any sort of manner.

And at the time of becoming Hokage, Hiruzen could think of no better than his former teammates to help him lead the village in the future. So, while he had become Hokage he had made his old teammates, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane apart of the Konoha Council. The two were incredibly helpful from the very start in helping him keep Konoha's economy and political stability in check. They were invaluable in that asset, but when it came to the militaristic power of Konoha's shinobi strength, he could only fall upon the word of his best friend.

Shimura Danzo...

The other person he made to be the third and final part of the Konoha Council. Danzo may not have been apart of his team, but he had been his best friend since childhood and while he and Danzo had different ideals on how to lead the village they both wanted nothing more than the safety of Konoha overall else. It was that shared goal, that made Hiruzen choose Danzo as his militaristic adviser. For the man was world renowned, unmatched in the art of strategical warfare, so much so that his strategies made even the sharpest of Nara's turn green with envy.

Danzo was a man born and bred for warfare, that much could not be argued and Hiruzen saw his talents would prove to be immensely needed, even if his views conflicted with his own in every possible way. People called Hiruzen in his youth as the Shinobi no Kami due his immense martial prowess on the battlefield, but in contrast Danzo had been ironically called the Shinobi no Yami.

Just because of the fact that was shared solely between the two that...

While Hiruzen was incredibly powerful Danzo made the better shinobi in terms of actually having the mindset fit for a Shinobi General that would do anything and everything to secure a victory and to safeguard his home. And if that meant sacrifices needed to be made, he would do so in a heartbeat. If he had to give up the life's of over a hundred shinobi just to secure the life's of the village he loved, than he would do it without a moments hesitation.

Hiruzen could not say he could do so without faltering and that was difference between him and Danzo, and it was why he respected Danzo like he did. He knew he would need his council for the times to come.

But Danzo had reached his limit, considering the current crisis Konoha was facing, his lone eye that wasn't bandaged was narrowed at seemingly nothing. But behind that lone eye ran the mind that trumped every strategist that's fought against Konoha in the past 2 war's. Multiple plans, scenario's, potential assassinations to cripple the enemy, to hinder their movements. Movements to sabotage enemy equipment and espionage of some of their most top ranking shinobi. Incursions to batter the enemy Konoha was currently facing, whittle them down and grab their attention while a strike force could flank them from two different directions.

But that did nothing when it all played out in his mind for the enemy Konoha was currently facing was far too strong for them, even he would admit that much. Konoha was severely weakened, not even tenth of it's original power it once was. Their shinobi force had been nearly wiped out 5 year's ago when the Kyuubi appeared and nearly obliterated Konoha off the face of the planet. It was an experience Danzo would never forget, but one that still humbled him to this very day.

''It's simply no longer an option, every attempt for peace talks have been ignored. Our shinobi ambassador's have dropped out of contact with us and reports are flying in from all over the border. Daimyo-sama himself is even worried about what is coming, and honestly I cannot blame him due to the state we are in.'' Koharu uttered as Homura agreed with a nod.

''Agreed, Hiruzen you already know what this means, the villages know we are weak right now. 5 years of trying to recover from the attack of the Kyuubi and we've yet to recover to any suitable degree to launch a defensive. Our power has weakened, the entire nation of Hi no Kuni has been destabilized and the world has seen this. This is no longer a quarrel with Shinobi, the other Daimyo's are even becoming daring in their territorial campaign.'' he said while Hiruzen's brow twitched in annoyance, but quietly he took note of Homura's words.

''Luckily, Kirigakure is still in their own civil war so we do not have to worry about them and their Daimyo is good friends with our own which is a plus. And Suna is dealing with their own problems with the _Ichibi _being sighted in the area. Plus I do not believe they will break their treaty with us while they the Ichibi baring down on them. And their Daimyo has already showed he doesn't have any interest in expanding his territory and jumping into this conflict.'' he said rubbing his chin in a contemplative manner.

Taking those words to heart, Hiruzen could find some merit in them, Kiri and Suna had their own problems to deal with and right now that was a good thing. Although they were allies with Suna for the moment, due to the power balance amongst the shinobi villages being disrupted like it was that alliance could easily be broken, especially with how fragile it already was. Than there was Kiri, which was going through one of the most bloodiest moments in recorded history Whatever happened to the current Mizukage, he thought it was best to start a purge of all the Kekkai Genkai users within Kirigakure and within Mizu no Kuni.

What could have possessed the Mizukage to begin a purge of wiping out very valuable military assets that made Kirigakure show up on the map. They held numerous clans with Kekkai Genkai that were incredibly dangerous to deal with, especially in times of warfare. But to wipe them out like that, no matter the reason, seemed like a bad move considering it was like he was trying to weaken his own village by killing off military resources.

It was utterly ridiculous in his opinion, and if Konoha were in better tidings he would have offered some assistance to those that were trying to escape the purge. But Konoha had it's own problem to deal with.

Which was the focal point of this very Council Meeting, currently Konoha was facing a problem, a very _big _problem.

Leaning forward Hiruzen stared at his three adviser's and he spoke. ''What we need to worry about is the coalition forces of both Tsuchi no Kuni and Kaminari no Kuni. With both Iwagakure and Kumogakure raring to go to war in our weakened state and with the death of our Yondaime as an incentive they've broke any attempts at peace. Plus with how ravaged Hi no Kuni by the Kyuubi's attack 5 year's ago, the Daimyo's of both Tsuchi and Kaminari have seen fit to try and take over Hi no Kuni and have drafted their entire military force and even both Kumo and Iwa under their banner. This is no longer a War between Shinobi villages, but a power grab of domination between Daimyo's.'' he said causing the tension in the room to increase two-fold at this information.

It was true, this was no longer a war between Shinobi villages, but a full out attempt to wipe out an entire nation. The Daimyo's of both Tsuchi and Kaminari had never been on good terms with Hi no Kuni's daimyo and with the attack 5 year''s ago. They saw the perfect opportunity to swell their numbers and attack, and with Iwa and Kumo's entire shinobi force under their respective Daimyo's banner made this whole situation a whole lot worse.

After a moment of contemplating, Danzo finally took that moment to speak. ''Logically we cannot win no matter what we do, what we try we cannot win with our current numbers. Reports already suggest a rough estimate of the combined force of nearly being three-fold of that of all of Hi no Kuni's forces, including Konoha as well. We are simply outmatched in terms of numbers alone.'' he said, dropping that bit of information only seemed to make the situation worse.

''I've played out multiple plans, scenarios and methods we could use, but the sheer density of numbers we face wouldn't even leave a dent in their overall military force. But the good thing is, they are converging their complete military force over sea's and into the Sangaku no Hakaba. That way they do not have to cross into the other countries to get to us and be threatened with casualties that way. But thanks to that mountainous region's terrain it'll be hard for them to get too us, no matter how much of a straight path it is.'' he said closing his lone eye as he continued.

''This will buy us time, to move that big of a force over sea's and into that region will take a long time and more so to build up a command center. It may take them roughly half a year to completely over that large of a force into the region and another 6 months to build a command center to relay orders.'' he finished making Homura hum contemplatively.

''So that would give us roughly a year to build up a defensive, but that's impossible it just won't happen, not with the amount of alliances we have now.'' he said while Koharu's permanent scowl seemed to only deepen as the conversation went on.

''It's obvious no matter how much we want to deny it, we will face total annihilation from this coalition force. No matter what we try to do in a year's time, it will simply not be enough. There is only one thing that could even remotely stand up against this type of force. It would have to be a _Jinchūriki.''_ she finished grimly causing Homura's face to deepen into a scowl while a lone glint passed Danzo's lone eye as he turned his gaze on Hiruzen who already realized where the conversation was going.

And it was evident that Hiruzen was not pleased with where the conversation was going.

''Jinchūriki...'' Homura trailed on. ''The Power of a Human Sacrifice, that's something that's only been told of in myths and legends. A being that's got one of the 9 great daiyōkai sealed into it's body and tied to their soul. Enabling them with the power of said demon, gifting them with near limitless power that could wipe out armies in the blink of an eye. But it's only a myth, no human has ever had the ability to seal one of those demons into a human vessel.'' he said before his eyes cut to Hiruzen.

''That is until 5 year's ago...''

''The impossible was made possible...'' Koharu said with a rare emotion of awe mixed with respect in her voice.

''Indeed.'' Danzo continued. ''At the cost of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki's life's history was rewarded with the first ever Jinchuriki seen since ancient times. Both were gifted beyond a shadow of a doubt in the art of Fuinjutsu and that natural talent seen only in the Uzumaki Clan allowed them to save Konohagakure that night and in their death they left behind a legacy.'' he said before he turned his lone gaze on Hiruzen who had been silent at this point.

''A Legacy that is the only salvation Konoha has now from total destruction.''

_''Enough_.''

The temperature in the room plummeted when Hiruzen spoke, his voice was colder than the frozen tundra and was sharper than any sword. His eyes had long since lost any form of warmth, only the feeling of pure unadulterated anger gleamed beneath his brown orbs. Justified anger, aimed toward his advisers for what they were trying to pull the topic of discussion towards. His hands clenched until the sound of his knuckles popped, his nails pierced flesh and blood began to bubble beneath the ruptured skin.

But he paid no heed to this as he stared down his Council with no small amount of disdain.

''Would you three dare to desecrate their memory in suggesting to turn their son, Minato's Legacy into a weapon? The boy is only 5 year's old...'' he said before Danzo cut in.

''And he is the only thing that stands between that coalition army and Konoha's destruction, don't be ignorant, you know this. Running through his veins is the blood of two of the greatest Shinobi and Kunoichi Konoha has ever produced in generations and sealed inside that boy is _the _entity of myth itself, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The greatest and most powerful of the Daiyōkai.'' Danzo finished causing Hiruzen's scowl to turn downright murderous.

Daiyōkai or Great Demon, was the term mortals gave unto 9 legendary demons that had taken resident upon the mortal for as long as time had foretold. No one knew their origin or where they came from, only that they were as old as time had foretold. Their presence could never be ignored, no matter which one appeared, for they were a sign of the end. Records and information about them has been note and recorded throughout the ages about them. Information entailed that each one held a tremendous amount of power, limitless in it's quantity and sheer destructive in it's quality.

There were 9 of them and their strength was ranked with the number of tails each demon held and their names had been carried along with them throughout their eternal existence. 1 to 9; Ichibi, Nibi, Sanbi, Yonbi, Gobi, Rokubi, Nanabi, Hachibi and finally the Kyuubi. But while their power was ranked this way, it did not mean in anyway the weaker demons could be underestimated. For they were beyond the realm of Shinobi standards of power. They were just that monumental, that terrifyingly powerful that to fight even the Ichibi was a death sentence for anyone.

And it was said the Kyuubi was even beyond the realm of it's fellow demons...

_'And that calamity is sealed inside Naruto-kun, all that power...it could save us, save my home, our village...but at what cost.'_ Hiruzen thought to himself, but he already knew the answer to that and it made him feel dead on the inside. The pressures of being Hokage were catching up to him because he knew, _he knew_ that deep down Konoha would never survive that coalition force of two combined nations. Not by any stretch of the imagination would it survive, Hi no Kuni would be ravaged, villages would be pillaged and it's native's would be either killed or put into slavery.

But if he were to add Naruto's unique status to the equation, the power scale would be flipped upside down.

_'Konoha would survive, Hi no Kuni would continue to flourish, but at the cost of this I would be spitting on the memory of Minato and Kushina's sacrifice by turning their son into a super weapon.'_ the sheer thought of it ate away at Hiruzen's soul. But his position as Hokage also meant that he had to make decisions that benefited the village as a whole and some of those choices were expected to be hard ones. Some that even killed the spirits of some Kages, but it had to be done for their villages continued survival.

That was the world they lived in after all, a world of war. It was no different from how it was during the Warring States Period, only since than they hadn't been throwing kids out into war.

Until now that is...

''Hypothetically speaking, if I were even consider such an option. There's no guarantee that we can even bring out that power, no one in history has ever documented it because it's never happened before. The boy is the first Jinchuriki after all.'' Hiruzen countered Danzo's words. And they had merit, there has never been a Jinchuriki accounted for in history only the term itself being derived from the passages of time, until now. So to utilize the potential of a Jinchuriki was a mystery in of itself.

''That is true, but I have a theory. Perhaps to awaken the power of the Jinchuriki the host would need to be put under extreme if not deadly situations of mental, emotional or physical exhaustion. It could also be taken into consideration that it's also a battle of will between the host and the demon, but that is just a theory.'' spoke the one eyed Shimura. The man kept his gaze solely on Hiruzen for the longest moment as the Sandaime Hokage struggled with what he could throw back at his wayward rival.

But in reality, he knew Danzo had him beat on this, as Hokage he had sworn to uphold the safety and integrity of Konoha just like Hokage had done before him. Minato had done the same and did so by sacrificing his life along with Kushina doing the very same to stop the Kyuubi by sealing it away into their newborn son, Naruto.

And now it was up to Hiruzen to decide the fate of the boy who had been in the clutches of Orochimaru for the last 5 years. And now after finally getting him back, he was being held accountable for the boy's fate and the fate of his village.

_He hated being Hokage..._

After a moment of considering Hiruzen sighed, his shoulders sagged and his gaze went down before speaking. ''This meeting adjourned, we will discuss this further at the next meeting. For now, Koharu, Homura can you please begin preparations for our forces. We will need them at peak condition for what is to come, increase the difficulty of the Academies curriculum as well. We need only those with skill and talent for what is to come.'' he said making the two nod.

''Of course, Hokage-sama.'' and with that the two left leaving only Hiruzen and Danzo alone. At this point, Hiruzen stood up first and walking forward he turned his stare down at the Shimura and for a moment he just kept his gaze on him. And Danzo only stared back unflinchingly for the longest moment the two rivals, best friends stared at each other. Before Hiruzen turned his gaze away, ashamed about what he was about to say.

''If the survival of Konoha and of Hi no Kuni does indeed rest upon that boy's shoulders. Then...as Hokage I can only do what must be done, otherwise I would be forsaking the duty bestowed upon me by Tobirama-sensei.'' he said making Danzo's eye droop down at the mention of their previous Hokage. That man had been someone he and Hiruzen respected just as much as they did for Konoha's Shodai Hokage.

''Indeed. He made you Hokage for a reason and so far you've never led Konoha astray and I've supported you when it concerned Konoha's safety before. And now is the time for you be the Hokage again and do what must be done, what is expected of you.'' he replied.

Sighing, Hiruzen shook his head, ''Perhaps, but I will tell you this. If we follow through with this we will do it _my way_ I will not have Minato and Kushina's child stripped of his emotions. He may become weapon for Konoha, but I will make sure that he is his own person.'' he said to which Danzo could only comply with a simple.

''Hm''

* * *

><p>''So, has the boy shown any signs of waking up?'' Danzo said as he traveled alongside Hiruzen towards the Sarutobi Compound.<p>

Sighing, Hiruzen shook his head. ''No and that frightens me, remember he was taken by Orochimaru and kept in his clutches for 5 year's. So, there is no telling what's be done to the boy and since it's been a week since we brought him back with no sign of him waking up, I fear for the worst.'' he muttered while Danzo's eye narrowed.

''Do not concern yourself, the boy is after all the son of those two and we both know how stubborn they were. I don't doubt he's inherited much from those two, but one trait I know that can be passed down is their bullheaded stubbornness and insurmountable willpower.'' he commented making Hiruzen chuckle at that.

''True true, but I just hope if-_when_-he wakes up we can get him situated and show him the home he never knew.'' he said this while his mind said something else that made him curse inwardly.

_'That is before we throw the boy into the fires of war and hope for the best.'_

That was a very cynical thought, and one that ate away at his moral code.

''Do you have any idea what Orochimaru was researching while in his base of operations?'' Danzo questioned, he himself had no clue. He'd had past dealings with Orochimaru before, but nowhere beyond gaining intel Hiruzen could ever ask of his own Anbu to attain. He never went to lengths to sabotage Hiruzen in any manner since he knew the man was a good Hokage, that much he would admit.

And to sabotage a good Hokage meant hurting Konoha and _that_ was something Danzo would never do.

''I am not sure, from what the Anbu could gather most of his work tampered with multiple fields of the human anatomy and altering it in different and sometimes vile ways. But we've gone over Naruto's body and came up with no irregularities in his body.'' he said with relief. He was glad about that otherwise he wouldn't know what he would do if Orochimaru did indeed tamper with Naruto in any sort of manner that could detract from his health.

''Well he-''

''Hokage-sama!'' perking at attention, the two men were made aware of a sudden worried shout and they looked to see a medic-nin running their way. From the panic on his face, it spelled whatever was happening to be incredibly urgent. Especially to interrupt a conversation between the Hokage and one of his advisers.

''Yes, what is it? Is something the matter?'' Hiruzen asked, a small amount of panic built up in his gut, this was one of the medic's he had overseeing Naruto's condition. And if he was here and in a panic that meant...

''The boy is waking up, but something's wrong with him!''

The poor medic never got to say another word before Hiruzen and Danzo vanished in a flicker of the Shunshin, leaving only floating leaf's in their wake.

They would not be prepared for what they were about to see.

Reaching the infirmary ward of the Sarutobi Compound, the two elder's quickly bypassed many of the clansmen until they reached the room designated for the boy. Breaching inside, the two were stricken at what they bore witness.

Blood...

There was so much blood...

_'What in the name of Yomi happened here!?'_ thought Hiruzen as he and Danzo took in the room with a keen eye.

The room they had Naruto taken to was no longer the pristine white walls and pearl white marble it once was. Everything was coated crimson with the bodies of the boy's doctors literally all over the room, torn to pieces in such gruesome ways that it made even Hiruzen queasy. The smell of death was thick in the air, but Hiruzen and Danzo stepped forward and closed off the whole room. And it was than they found the boy, and it was a sight that was forever burned into their minds.

The boy was there, staring straight at them, his mismatched eyes stared them down from the corner of the room. Liquid azure in his left eye and his right was a glowing crimson eye with a fox slit down the middle. His long, untamed spiky gold hair was even more wild, while it went down the nape of neck resembling a mane. His whisker-marks seemed to become more pronounced while his nails had become claws and his teeth resembled fangs. Blood coated his hands with small amounts of flesh and gore dug underneath his claws while held in the boy's fangs was the body of the head doctor.

Well his upper half anyway, the other half was evidently torn off and thrown to the other side of the room.

''By Kami...'' Danzo uttered as he stared into the eyes of the deranged child as he noticed the final features of the boy that made their blood run cold.

And that was the two kitsune ear's that replaced his once human ear's and his long blood red fox tail swishing lazily at the base of his tail bone.

Quietly the boy dropped the upper torso of the deceased doctor from his mouth and quietly stalked toward the two men. ''Are you two...gonna hurt me?'' he said eying them with no small amount of caution. He was on all four's, just like a _Kitsune_, but spoke a reasonable level of human dialect that it surprised the two men, more than they already were.

That was the day, Hiruzen and Danzo met the long lost son of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.

The day they finally looked upon the face of their Legacy...

The day they met the one who would ultimately save Konoha from destruction.

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's a risky path I'm taking, but with Naruto officially done in the manga, I wanted to give a try at a re-telling with elements from Highschool DxD mixed in. Along with a few other elements as well.<strong>

**So let me start by explaining a few things:**

1: These chapters will be apart of Naruto's Origin, a backstory to the events that are taking place in the first chapter.

2: The Bijuu are not the bijuu from canon, they are something else, something beyond mortal comprehension. They are a big, big, _**BIG**_ deal in this stories universe, not to be taken lightly in any sense of the word.

3: Naruto being the result of a unification of bloodlines between the Senju, Uchiha and Uzumaki. I have plans for this that will converge as the chapters go on and as I said before, the history of the Rikudo has been altered so it will not be completely the same.

4: In this story there was never a Jinchuriki before Naruto. Naruto is the FIRST Jinchuriki. Plain and Simple.

5: Why is Danzo being docile? Too fit for what I'm going for Danzo will work with Hiruzen when their goals are the same and that is the safety and well being of Konohagakure, their home.

**If anyone has any other questions please tell me in a review or PM.**

**Goodbye.**


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